Wheelchairs generally include a seat assembly mounted to a wheelchair frame and two armrests positioned adjacent to and on opposing sides of the seat. These armrests generally provide the occupant support during ingress and egress from the wheelchair, as well as providing comfort and convenience for the occupant by furnishing a fixture upon which they may rest their arms and shift their weight while seated in the wheelchair.
Typically, an armrest includes a generally horizontal frame with an armrest pad supported thereatop, and a pair of spaced-apart armrest posts (i.e., front and rear) extend downwardly from opposite ends of the horizontal frame. Each post is oriented in a substantially vertical manner for ease of mounting, and height adjustment, relative to wheelchair main frame. The wheelchair main frame usually includes a pair of spaced-apart upwardly extending receiving tubes each providing a post receiving bore dimensioned to slidably and telescopically receive the distal ends of the corresponding armrest post portions. Generally, these two-post designs provide more lateral support and stability than a single-post armrest assembly, which are also used in the industry.
While two-post armrests provide adequate mounting stability and support, several problems are inherent. For example, due to RESNA regulations, both the front and rear posts must be securely locked to the wheelchair frame. Such securement is generally accomplished by providing separate manually operable latch mechanisms to releasably latch the respective posts to the wheelchair frame. For those severely impaired persons or those of limited dexterity, manual actuation of the rear latch assembly is often difficult or physically impossible from the seated position.
The front latching mechanism for the front post is generally accessible for operation thereof by the wheelchair occupant. The rear latching mechanism, however, is typically situated behind the seating system rearward of the occupant's shoulders. Moreover, the rear latch mechanism is often obstructed by the wheelchair rear wheel. Accordingly, this arrangement severely increases the difficulty of unlatching the rear latching device and/or removing the armrest from the seated position.
Further, physically impaired persons may encounter difficulty aligning the two posts with the receiving bores when attempting to install the armrest to the wheelchair frame. Often, the posts are slightly skewed which offsets the alignment with the bores.
Moreover, when attempting to adjust the height or remove the armrest from the main frame receiving bores, those with limited physical capabilities may be unable to telescopically extend or retract both of the front and rear posts simultaneously into or out of the corresponding post receiving bores in a smooth, even, unskewed manner. Skewing during adjustment causes the posts to lodge or jam in the corresponding receiving bores, and prevent removal.